Manufacture and waterproofing of leather and leather cloth.



'in' nell-lmown machines.

MANUFACTURE AND WATERPROOFING 0F LEATHER. AND [EATHER CLOTH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, 1905.

Application filed February a, 1904. Serial No. 192,437.

.To all whom i/ 11/ (will-c1714 Be it known that l, Perm: Cxnnnox Dono- LAS CASTLE, managing-director of Public (.mnpuny, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of llcbington, in the county of Chester, England, have invented certain new and useful improvements in or Relating to the Manufacture and 'aterprooling of Leather i and Leather Cloths, of which the following is 10 a specification.

Inthc manufacture of leather and leather cloths for various.manufactures, such as beltings, the process has hitherto been very slow and expensive, it being necessary to repeatedly coat and dry the said cloths with boiled linseed-oil or nitrated products. The beltings or cloths are first coated with a preparation The cloths. which are in various lengths, are then removed to steam-heated dwing-warehouses, where they are allowed to hang for varying lengths of time, according to the nature of the coating applied to them or the quantity and thickness of the fabric coated. \Vhen dry, the cloth is again taken to the factory and subjected to another coating on the coating-machine and the drying process again repeated as above mentioned. In order to thoroughly coat the fabric or cloth, it has hithert-obecn necessary to repeat this operation five or six or even as many as eight or nine times, the carrying of the cloth between the factory and the dryingchambers being done by hand. 'hen the drying has been completed, the cloths are next taken to embossing-machines and finished for the market. It will thus be seen that this method is a very slow and expensive one, and

in addition the boiled linseed-oil (which is largely used) is also very expensive.

Now this invention consists in manufacturing belting, waterproof cloth, waterproof leather, and textile fabrics generally in such a manner that the coating and drying are completed and the fabrics made thoroughly waterproof at one single operation.

The invention consists, essentially, in combining the flourof the locust-bean kernels with the nitrated product with or without other ingredients for vt'aterprooling and strengthening other fabrics, whereby thegum contained in the said flour is set free and enables me to apply a sufficient quantity ofthe compound onto the cloth at a single coating, and no matter what the thickness of the coating tho material is thoroughly waterproofcd.

In carrying out my invention in the formation, for instance, of leather cloths and bookcloths resi-mblin, mackintosh, inasmuch as they are thoroughly waterproof, I take flour of the kernels of the locust-bcamtxvo pounds; color. one pound; nitrated cotton, one gallon; other, one pound; castor-oil, live ounces, and if coloring he required suliicient coloring-matterto produce the shade desired. The ingredicnts are mixed into a homogeneous paste,

which is then applied to the fabric either by hand or the ordinary machines used for similar purposes. The fabric thus treated is thoroughly waterproof and is found to he of great strength and durability:

The invention is applicable for strengthening and waterproofing all kinds of cloths, such as booklnmlcrs' cloths, hospital-cloths, military and other tentcloths, covering for roller-spimllcs, and even for coverings for electric wires and the like, and also for belts,

and is also applicable for wall-papers.

In lhus. describing my invention 1 would have it understood that the use of caster-oil or other luln-ic:'iting-oil is nota necessity, but is strongly advisable when the fabric has to be made very pliable; secondly, the coloringmattcr is also not a necessity, but is simply supplied to suit the taste or to vary the normal shade. The nitrated cellulose is of the lowest grade and non-explosive and the fabric will not blaze when setfirc to, but only Smolder. The quantity of the various ingredients can also be varied very considerably without departing from my invention.

The flour of the locust-bean kernel. while when cmployml by itself is soluble in water, when it is once dried and mixed with other materials such as described it becomes practically insoluble.

it will be $00" that the essential differences between my invention and the cumbersome, protractcl I. and expensive processes at present in us are that I can complete the manufzu'turc of waterproof articles at one single operation instead of eight or nine, as at present employed: also, that the cost of flit-materials used in my process is less than half that of thc pre-cnt materials: further. that the cloth manufactured according to my invention is absolutely waterproof and can pass from tho coating-machine to the emhousing-machine in the same place in the factor rwithout the intervention of dr,'ing-chambers and without having to bccarried to and fro'ant subiecte-d to a special steam-drying apparatus. The article manufactured by my process is also very much more pliable and softer and will not blaze when set lire to or crack, whereas the cloths at present manufactured crack very casilyand are liable to burn rather rapidly.

As regards the particular form of leather cloth known to the trade as book-cloth it is of special importance that this in many cases should be of thin materials, which are subject to crack or cut when treated with the starch ysnbstances at present in use when they are being embossed. By my process the very thinnest clot-h can be perfectly embossed without any cracking or cutting taking place.

I declare that what I claim is 1. As a new article of manufacture, a fabric Consisting of a body rendered waterproof by treatment with a paste containing the fiour'of the kernels of the locust-bean and a nitrated prod uct.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a fabric consisting of a body rendered waterproof by treatment with a paste containing the flour of the kernels of the locust-bean and oil.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a fabric consisting of a body rendered waterproof by treatment with a paste ontaining the flour of the kernels of the locust-beau, oil and coloring-matter.

4. As a new article or manufacture a belt or cloth formed of two or m r layers of fibrous matter. having between them a layer containing the flour of the kernel of the locust-bean.

5. As a new article of manufacture a belt or cloth formed of two layers of fibrous matter having between them a layer containing the flour of the kernel of the locust-luau and oil.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name, this 27th day of Januam 19M, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

P. U. D. CASTLE.

Witnesses:

H. R. SHOOBRIDGE, Jonx b'lCLAG/IILAX. 

